The seriously expensive HP Z1 G2 is an all-in-one workstation desktop that puts massive computing power into a space-saving form factor.

The HP Z1 G2 is an all-in-one workstation desktop for those who need professional-grade computing power, but work into a compact space. At $7,707 (as tested), it's the most expensive all-in-one desktop we've reviewed, and only the second all-in-one workstation we've seen, after the first-generation HP Z1 Workstation. The Z1 G2 is updated with newer versions of Intel's Xeon processor and Nvidia's Quadro graphics, but the most notable improvements over its predecessor are a 10-point touch screen and the option for Thunderbolt 2 ports. It'll cost a pretty penny, but if you need workstation power, a sharper-than-1080p screen, and a compact chassis, the HP Z1 G2 is the only game in town.

Design and Features
The HP Z1 G2 is essentially a showpiece. It's made for the senior executive or manager who has to view their department's output in a certified workstation environment, but doesn't want a bulky tower system and large screen with wires everywhere.

Like the Apple iMac 27-inch (2013) all-in-one PC, the Z1 G2 has the display and components built into the chassis. In this case, we're talking about a Windows 8 workstation with the full compatibility that your organization may need to keep compliance in project guidelines.

While there are space constraints with an all-in-one chassis, there's room for two full-size hard drives and a choice of either Intel HD Graphics or one of four different Nvidia Quadro graphics cards. And it takes up less room than a full-tower desktop and monitor, like the Lenovo ThinkStation D30, our Editors' Choice for workstations with dual processors.

The Z1 G2 is mounted on a dual-hinge stand, which allows for a wide range of motion and angles. Users can view the screen in a traditional vertical orientation, or they can tilt the screen flat so that it's parallel with the work surface. Once in the horizontal position, an IT tech can push two latches and open the chassis to get to the components. This is a lot more convenient than the sealed Apple iMac 27-inch (2013), or the one-piece panel on the HP EliteOne 800 business all-in-one PC. A gas strut, like the one in a car trunk, holds the lid open and prevents it from slamming shut on your hands.

The inside is roomy enough to work on easily, with access to the memory slots (two are free), graphics card bay, an internal bay that can house two drives, and optical drive bay (filled by the Thunderbolt 2 port adapter in our review unit). Access handles and fans that can be removed are marked in green, and a simple swap of hard drives should only take about a minute or two. Our review model has just about every option installed, which means that the graphics card slot and all the mini-PCIe card slots are filled. The Z1 G2 support Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.

The 27-inch, In-Plane Switching (IPS) screen has a 2,560-by-1,440 resolution, and 10-point touch capability will help users navigate CAD/CAM apps. Windows 8 is onboard for enterprise users. The display is bright and clear, and it can fit several pages of a spreadsheet, architectural drawings, or Web pages. If you need more screen real estate, another monitor or two can be connected via DisplayPort and a dual-head adapter. Multitouch gestures work quickly on the system, including two-finger swipes, pinch-to-zoom, and taps. Our review unit came with Windows 8.1 Pro.

There are two USB 3.0 ports located on the right side (one charging), and four USB 2.0 ports in the back, alongside DisplayPort, Ethernet, and both analog and digital audio ports. There's a USB 2.0 port inside the chassis, so you can connect (and hide) a wireless USB dongle for the wireless keyboard and mouse. Last, but not least, two Thunderbolt 2 ports sit on the right side of the chassis. The system comes with a three-year warranty.

Performance
Our review unit came with a quad-core Intel Xeon E3-1280 v3 processor with Hyper-Threading, 16GB of DDR3 memory (it can be configured with up to 32GB), and a two 256GB SATA solid-state drives (SSDs) in a RAID 0 array. Combine those with the 4GB Nvidia Quadro K4100M graphics card, and you've got a very powerfuland expensiveworkstation on your hands.

The Z1 G2 received one of the highest scores we've seen on the PCMark 7 day-to-day test (6,315 points), topping the dual-processor-equipped Lenovo ThinkStation D30 (3,934), the first-gen HP Z1 (4,874), and the HP EliteOne 800 (4,910). The Z1 G2 also did well on the multimedia benchmark tests. It completed the Handbrake test in a quick 29 seconds, and the Photoshop CS6 test in 2 minutes 51 seconds. That was faster than the HP Z1 (1:09 Handbrake; 2:53 CS6) and Lenovo D30 (1:11 Handbrake; 2:55 CS6), and similar to the Apple Mac Pro (2013) (0:26 Handbrake; 3:03 CS6).

The Cinebench CPU test showed the raw rendering power of the Z1 G2 (8.03 points). However, this admittedly high score can't hold a candle to the Mac Pro (13.54) and Lenovo D30 (25.31). Its 3D scores on our gaming tests were also top-notch. The Dell Precision T3610 is competitive on the Cinebench (7.44) and CS6 tests (3:16) but has much lower scores on PCMark7 and Handbrake, due to its slower hard drive versus the SSDs on the Z1 G2. Thus, the Z1 G2 is best for multimedia tasks and CAD/CAM, while CPU-intensive tasks, like serious scientific computation and rendering CGI animation, are better given to systems with higher-powered Xeon cores, preferably ones with multiple processors.

The HP Z1 G2 has the power to do serious work in a graphics organization, architectural firm, or movie production house. Because of its lofty price tag, however, we see this as more of a chief executive's showpiece than a workstation user's dream machine. For the same money, you could get two or three Dell Precision T3610 workstations and outfit a whole workgroup. The Apple Mac Pro, our current Editors' Choice for single-processor workstations, has innovation and the blazing power that gets your work done quickly (including those non-relenting change orders) for about $1,000 less than this system. The Z1 G2 exists in a categoryall-in-one workstationswhere it is the only real occupant. We welcome the chance to see others like it.

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About the Author

Joel Santo Domingo joined PC Magazine in 2000, after 7 years of IT work for companies large and small. His background includes managing mobile, desktop and network infrastructure on both the Macintosh and Windows platforms. Joel is proof that you can escape the retail grind: he wore a yellow polo shirt early in his tech career. Along the way Joel e... See Full Bio

HP Z1 G2

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